VAWnet News Blog

“People assume these micro victories — R. Kelly in court, R. Kelly in cuffs — are the endgame,” Kenyette Barnes, co-founder of the #MuteRKelly campaign, told NBC BLK after the media frenzy around Kelly’s recent court appearances abated. “But for us, this is not a time of celebration.”

Spooked by ICE raids in their communities, news of family separations at the border, and anti-immigrant policies from the federal government, undocumented domestic violence survivors are staying with abusers longer and shunning help, often at risk of their lives, victim advocates said.

This February, we're building on our #1Thing message for Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention Month as we work to promote healthy dating relationships and support the collective action of young people for social change. We believe that each of us has a role to play in preventing dating violence, promoting gender and racial equity, and creating the world we wish to live in!

Last week President Julius Maada Bio declared sexual violence in Sierra Leone a national emergency, and outlined ambitious plans — like free hospital care to rape victims, creating special police and court divisions devoted to sexual violence and a national phone hotline — to address the problem.

While the march acknowledges the deaths and disappearances of all women from the Downtown Eastside, it has been led by First Nations women from the beginning. The march and its organizers are widely recognized for their grassroots work demanding justice for Indigenous women and girls who are disproportionately victims of violence and homicides.

The leave will allow employees to attend medical appointments and counseling, attend legal proceedings, seek safe housing and visit support agencies.